5 ways to practice self kindness

Self kindness is such a simple concept and yet very few of us actually take the time out of our day in which to actually share some positivity with ourselves. We value ourselves as 'good people' if we are kind towards other people and we take pride in making other people smile, so why is such a wild concept to do the same for ourselves. Everyone wants to be happy in life, and some days this emotion is easy to feel, sometimes it isn't. Simple little bits of kindness that we show ourselves can make or break these situations. If you're having a bad day then its easy to wallow rather than be empathetic with the situation you're in and how you are feeling. It's time to react to your own life situations the way we would if it were a loved ones issues.

1. Pay yourself a complement first thing in the morning in the mirror- I love ideas like this, there are so many stickers you can get to put on mirrors for you to see every morning while brushing your teeth or putting your makeup on etc. You could quite simply use this personal time to look in the mirror and really list the things that you like about yourself, whether you really love the way your skin looks that day, or your eyes really seem to look fabulous. Find something to embrace about yourself or your life and keep it as a positive focus of the morning.
2. Leave positive messages on sticky notes around your home- Just imagine how cute it is if you get in from having a bad day at work an you find a positive message stuck to a tub of your favourite food in the refrigerator. Everyone fantasises about someone being there telling you cute little things about yourself or trying to brighten your day. Why not be that person for yourself?
3. Make time for yourself- especially to relax. It's easy to have a stressful or full on day/week and then realise that you've committed to some kind of event or promised to provide help for someone at the last minute. It's so important to take the time out to look after yourself, especially when things aren't running smoothly. We all need the down time in order to put things into perspective, to calm our nerves and soothe those strains. Make a conscious decision to not spread yourself too thin and carve out time daily just for you. Curl up with a good book, take a nice bath, do whatever calms you.
4. Take some time to write down your daily/weekly achievements. It's so great when we are recognised for our achievements, it becomes really motivating. So why not take the time to celebrate all of your smaller achievements, it really helps boost your mojo to celebrate the little things.
5. Keep a gratitude journal! There are so many things in life to be grateful about. It's the little things in life that make your day even better, whether its the flowers you have blooming just outside your window, the card you receive from your friend when you're having a bad day or the smile from a stranger. We need to keep these things and remember to cherish them when we review our lives.